Global inequality and global inequality extraction ratio: The story of the last two centuries

Branko Milanovic

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Using social tables, we make an estimate of global inequality (inequality among world citizens) in early 19th century. We then show that the level and composition of global inequality have changed over the last two centuries. The level has increased reaching a high plateau around 1950s, and the main determinants of global inequality have become differences in mean country incomes rather than inequalities within nations. The inequality extraction ratio (the percentage of total inequality that was extracted by global elites) has remained surprisingly stable, at around 70 percent of the maximum global Gini, during the last 100 years.

Keywords: global inequality; economic history; inequality extraction ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 N3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-07-30
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Working Paper: Global inequality and the global inequality extraction ratio: the story of the past two centuries (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:16535

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